Image recording apparatus

Abstract

An image recording apparatus includes an image recording unit that records an image on a recording medium; a supply unit that supplies a recording medium to the image recording unit; a discharging unit that discharges the recording medium having the image recorded thereon to an outside of the image recording apparatus; and a control unit having a circuit board that controls a driving of the image recording unit. The control unit is in alignment with the image recording unit at at least one of an upper side of the supply unit and the discharge unit within a height of the located image recording unit.

1. An image recording apparatus comprising:
 an image recording unit that records an image on a recording medium by ejecting ink; 
 a container mounting portion to which an ink container is mounted, the ink container being configured to store ink and connectable to the image recording unit via a tube; 
 a supply unit that is disposed at a front side of the image recording apparatus and that supplies a recording medium to the image recording unit; 
 a discharging unit that is disposed at the front side of the image recording apparatus and that discharges the recording medium having the image recorded thereon to a discharge space which is open at a front side and surrounded at at least a top side, a rear side, a right side and a left side by the image recording apparatus; 
 a conveying portion that conveys the recording medium from the supply unit to the discharge unit; 
 an image reading unit that reads an image of a document placed in the image reading unit; 
 a control unit having a circuit board that controls a driving of the image recording unit, 
 wherein the control unit is in alignment with the image recording unit within a height of the located image recording unit; 
 wherein the control unit is sandwiched between the image reading unit and the discharge space and is disposed not to overlap with the conveying portion in any of plan view, front view, and side views; and 
 wherein the image recording unit reciprocates in a space between the image reading unit and the conveying portion. 
 
     
     
       2. The image recording apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the supply unit and the discharge unit are disposed to be stacked in an up-and-down direction of the image recording apparatus. 
 
     
     
       3. The image recording apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the image recording unit further includes a recording head which is reciprocated in a direction intersecting to a feeding direction of the recording medium, and 
 wherein the control unit is designed in a laterally-elongated and substantially rectangular shape so as to extend along the reciprocating direction of the recording head. 
 
     
     
       4. The image recording apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein a power supply unit is disposed at a lower side of the control unit so as to be located at at least one of a side of the discharge unit and a side of the supply unit. 
 
     
     
       5. The image recording apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a network board that carries out a line-fixed communication through a communication line, 
 wherein the network board is connected to the communication line through a wire so as to be adjacent to a power supply unit, and 
 wherein the network board and the power supply unit are mounted on a fixing member to be assembled as a unit. 
 
     
     
       6. The image recording apparatus according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein outer peripheries of the network board and the power supply unit are covered by a coating member. 
 
     
     
       7. The image recording apparatus according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein one part of the coating member covers the outer periphery of the network board, and 
 wherein the other part of the coating member covers the outer periphery of the power supply unit. 
 
     
     
       8. The image recording apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the control unit has a connector connectable to a recording medium. 
 
     
     
       9. The image recording apparatus according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a housing accomodatable the image recording unit and the control unit therein, 
 wherein the control unit is mounted in the housing so that the connector faces the front surface of the housing, and 
 wherein the housing is provided with at least one; insertion port intercommunicating with the connector. 
 
     
     
       10. The image recording apparatus according to  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a reception-side connector which is provided above the control unit and electrically connects to other electronic equipment, 
 wherein the housing is provided with a cable wiring groove having one end side intercommunicating with the reception-side connector and the other side intercommunicating with a cable outlet opened to any side surface of the housing. 
 
     
     
       11. The image recording apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the control unit is configured by the circuit board, and 
 wherein the circuit board is surrounded by a metal shield member. 
 
     
     
       12. The image recording apparatus according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein the shield member is divisibly configured by a pair of shield cases for accommodating a circuit board between the confronting faces thereof. 
 
     
     
       13. The image recording apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein an image reading unit readable image information of an original is mounted on an upper surface of the housing while one side edge portion of the upper surface of the housing serves as a hinge, 
 wherein an operation unit having a circuit board for inputting an operation signal is appended to the image reading unit, wherein the control unit is disposed to be adjacent to a side wall of the housing at which the hinge is provided, and 
 wherein the hinge portion serves as a wiring path of a cable for connecting the control unit and the operation unit to each other. 
 
     
     
       14. The image recording apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the control unit and the image recording unit is substantially disposed in a direction of a feeding direction of the recording medium. 
 
     
     
       15. The image recording apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit is disposed at an upper side of both the supply unit and the discharge unit. 
     
     
       16. The image recording apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit is disposed to overlap with a part of the supply unit and a part of the discharge unit in plan view. 
     
     
       17. The image recording apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the container mounting portion is disposed below the circuit board. 
     
     
       18. The image recording apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the container mounting portion is disposed in a horizontal direction of the conveying portion. 
     
     
       19. The image recording apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the recording medium is conveyed in the conveying portion in a conveying direction; and 
 wherein the container mounting portion is disposed at an upstream side of the conveying portion in the conveying direction. 
 
     
     
       20. The image recording apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the recording medium is conveyed in the conveying portion in a conveying direction; 
 wherein the image recording unit comprises a recording head movable in a scanning direction perpendicular to the conveying direction; and 
 wherein the container mounting portion is disposed outside the conveying portion in the scanning direction as viewed from a downstream side of the conveying direction. 
 
     
     
       21. The image recording apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the ink container mounted to the container mounting portion is disposed not to overlap with the circuit board in any of plan view, front view, and side views. 
     
     
       22. The image recording apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the ink container is removably mounted to the container mounting portion. 
     
     
       23. The image recording apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the container mounting portion is disposed not to overlap with the circuit board in any of plan view, front view and side views. 
     
     
       24. An image recording apparatus comprising:
 an image recording unit that records an image on a recording medium by ejecting ink; 
 a supply unit that is disposed at a front side of the image recording apparatus and that supplies a recording medium to the image recording unit; 
 a discharging unit that is disposed at the front side of the image recording apparatus and that discharges the recording medium having the image recorded thereon to a discharge space which is open at a front side and surrounded at at least a top side, a rear side, a right side and a left side by the image recording apparatus; 
 a conveying portion that conveys the recording medium from the supply unit to the discharge unit; 
 an image reading unit that reads an image of a document placed in the image reading unit; 
 a control unit having a circuit board that controls a driving of the image recording unit, 
 wherein the control unit is in alignment with the image recording unit within a height of the located image recording unit; 
 wherein the control unit is sandwiched between the image reading unit and the discharge space and is disposed not to overlap with the conveying portion in any of plan view, front view, and side views; and 
 wherein the image recording unit reciprocates in a space between the image reading unit and the conveying portion.